Driving exotic, expensive and stylish cars is identical with James Bond icon. Everything James Bond drives becomes an instant famous, but few things capture the public’s imagination like what the man rides. While today’s Agent 007 traverses the globe in simpler, elegant-yet-muscular machines, the more fanciful rides of the past are still an important part of Bond lore. Though the man has the power to make even a Ford LTD seem almost desirable, the following 10 vehicles are the greatest Bond machines ever.
1. Aston Martin DB5Featured in six films (Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, a small appearance in Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale and Skyfall. The Goldfinger DB5 with gadgets was sold on October 27, 2010 for $4.6m (£2.9m) to the car collector Harry Yeaggy. It features the pop out gun barrels behind the front indicators, the bullet shield behind the rear window and a 3-way revolving front number plate showing "GOLD FINGER" or "JB007" or "BMT216A".
Though Bond has driven a couple of Aston Martin DB5s throughout his long, illustrious career of international espionage, it's the silver DB5 from Goldfinger that most Bond fans remember. The Aston Martin DB5 is the quintessential “classic” Bond car. This DB5 is the debut of the Bond car as we know it today; it was the first MI6-built ride to feature bulletproof glass, rotating number plates, retractable machine guns, and a passenger-side ejector seat.
2. Aston Martin V12 VanquishSeen in Die Another Day, The car is equipped with all the usual refinements, including front-firing rockets, hood-mounted target-seeking guns, spike-producing tires, again and a passenger ejector seat in homage to the original Aston Martin DB5, but used here in a clever bit of improvisation by 007 to right the car when it's been flipped onto its roof. The Aston was also equipped with "adaptive camouflage" – a cloaking device that allowed it to become effectively invisible at the push of a button.
3. Aston Martin V8 Vantage VolanteAston Martin’s already mean-looking V8 Volante gets an extra dose of aggressiveness thanks to the team at MI6. In The Living Daylights, this British muscle car gets the Bond treatment and packs necessities such as booster rockets, hubcap-mounted lasers and a pair of skis. Clad in all black, this Volante was the meanest thing on a pair of skis in cinematic history.
4. BMW Z8Boasting titanium armor, fender-mounted surface-to-air missiles and “six beverage cupholders,” this roadster had more than a few handy additions. But it had some practical upgrades, too: Immeasurably cooler than the Z3 that launched the Bond/BMW partnership, the BMW Z8 from The World Is Not Enough provided Agent 007 with some seriously cool firepower… if only for a minute. Its ability to be driven remotely via a key chain is something we’re starting to see today. Chinese car manufacturer BYD has a family sedan that can be driven in just the same way -- albeit at a much slower speed. Does this mean we might soon see Bond in a Su Rui?
5. Aston Martin DBSWith its gunmetal skin and carbon fiber trim, this ride conveys both refinement and intelligent strength, and it does so without the need to resort to laser-guided missiles. Much like the man himself, the modern Bond car abandons gadgetry in favor of focused, athletic performance. 007’s current car, the Aston Martin DBS, is the mechanical machination of elegantly brutal performance.
While this DBS may lack the toys that made the old Bond cars fun, it certainly is no slouch. This is a capable machine that can tackle a twisty Alpine road just as confidently as it can tour grandly through Europe. The car’s 510 horsepower V12 also gives it the ability to give unwanted company the slip in less time than it takes for a glitchy cloaking device to activate.
6. BMW 750iLIf we were the type to indulge in bad puns, we’d make more than a few stating that Bond’s BMW 750iL from Tomorrow Never Dies is the ultimate Q-ship. After all, it was built by a man named Q, and like the World War II ships that inspired the term, it’s rather dignified exterior hides a massive amount of firepower. Modifications include a cutting cable mounted behind the front emblem and a caltrop dispenser in the rear, but the highlight of this Beemer is the assortment of missiles mounted in the car’s sunroof.
7. Lotus Esprit S1Should you point out an Aston Martin DB5 to the casual observer, you’ll likely get a response along the lines of, “Oh, that’s nice.” Point out a Lotus Esprit, on the other hand, and the first thing you’ll hear is, “That’s the car that turned into a submarine!” So while the DB5 may be quintessential classic Bond car, it’s the wedge-shaped Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me that is arguably one of the most famous and iconic of all of James Bond’s rides.
8. AMC HornetFeatured in The Man with the Golden Gun. Bond steals this red 1974 hatchback from an AMC dealership in Bangkok, Thailand. He makes his exit by crashing through the showroom window. unknowing that Sheriff J.W. Pepper was in it looking to test drive it. A Hornet was also used for the famous twisting corkscrew aerial jump that was captured in just one filming sequence.
A special modified car performed the stunt with a lower stance and larger wheel wells (just as the Astro Spiral Javelin stunt cars that performed that same jump in AMC sponsored thrill shows) compared to the stock Hornet X model in all of its other appearances in the movie. No missiles, rocket boosters or ejector seats in this piece of American iron, just 360 cubic inches of pure muscle. Bond Cars Though we associate the man with European rides, one of the greatest Bond vehicles ever is the AMC Hornet from The Man With the Golden Gun.
9. Toyota 2000GTToyota’s 2000GT remains a highly sought-after collectable thanks to its tactile lines, technologically advanced powertrain and incredibly limited production run. Japan’s first true exotic car established itself on the world stage thanks to its appearance in You Only Live Twice. The 2000GT seen in the Bond film is even more of a collectable -- and not just because of its gadget list.
The 2000GT was only offered as a hardtop coupe, but Toyota created two convertible versions of the 2000GT just for the film. While Bond didn’t actually drive the car himself (he was chauffeured by Bond girl Aki), this Toyota can be considered a car custom-built for the man: The only reason Toyota chopped off the roof was because Bond actor Sean Connery couldn’t fit in the standard coupe.
10. Sunbeam Alpine Series IIThe lack of gadgets makes this car forgettable to even the most devoted Bond fan, and the actual machine’s paltry 80hp and 13.6-second 0-60 time also make it forgettable to traditional car fans. Though not as famous as the gadget-equipped cars that came after it, the Sunbeam Alpine Series II seen in Dr. No is important because it’s the first Bond car ever.
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